Born From Fire
by HannahCake310
Summary: I'm so sorry, he wanted to yell. I tried... Based off the prompt, "McKirk where they're on the Enterprise and Kirk passes out on the bridge..."


"Captain, there's a ship at warp and it's headed right for us." Sulu announced suddenly from his station with all the professionalism he could muster yet small twinge of uncertainty colored his voice. The warning had the rest of the bridge crew snapping to attention. It had been a long and unappealing shift that was about to get longer.

"Hold position," Jim ordered setting his PADD aside and sitting up in his chair. Spock turned in his seat to face the view screen.

"Twelve seconds, sir." Sulu didn't take his eyes off his station.

"Uhura," Jim swiveled his chair to the woman. "Any transmissions in the area?"

Uhura had her head angled down, eyes unfocused as she listened intently between switching dials and flipping channels. "None that I can detect in the area. Wait…" She jerked slightly leaning farther forward as if that could somehow help her listen. "There's actually nothing. None of the channels have any chatter. They did a few minutes ago but… It's all quiet."

"Hail the vessel."

She was quiet for a second before shaking her head. "Nothing's getting through."

That didn't sit well with Jim. He grit his teeth and hardened his face into his best Captain's Face which went right along with his Don't Fuck With Me face then pointed at Sulu. "Shields up." To Chekov he said, "Put us on yellow alert, all stations in place and have weapons armed and ready. Uhura, send out any signal you can get through, Spock make note to Starfleet that we've made attempts to contact an unknown vessel but no word has gone through. Even if the transmission doesn't work now it has to sometime."

A chorus Aye, sir's went up around the room as his crew went into action.

"Five seconds," Sulu warned. "Three… Two… Incoming."

A ship appeared on the view screen. It was dark blue and a little bigger than Enterprise herself. It floated in their screen as Jim's crew rushed to get their orders filled and Jim waited. "Try hailing them again."

"Still nothing, sir." Uhura bit at her lip, something didn't feel right.

"Open a line, I want to send a mess…" Jim started when a face appeared on the view screen as if it were a vid call. The face was the same shade of deep blue as the vessel and shaped like a larger than normal human head. Its skin looked wet and shined in whatever passed for light on its ship. The eyes were the most brilliant part of the creature being three times the size of a humans' and the brightest purple Jim had ever seen. They were almost beautiful as Jim stared into them deeply, almost mesmerized. The bridge was silent, Jim tried to physically himself out of the depths of those eyes that held every hue and shade of purple he'd ever seen. He stood from his chair feeling more in control on his feet. "This is Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enter–"

A screech like none he'd ever heard filled his ears spiking its way into his brain making him grab for the sides of his head. Jim cried out stumbling backwards as if stuck but remained on his feet. Jim saw Spock jump up just as the screeching turned to words that burned his mind. Tears collected at his eyes at the same time as his knees gave out on him. He fell hard staying upright.

"James Tiberius Kirk, son of George Rawlins Kirk and Winona Elena Kirk, both deceased."

It felt like needles were being inserted through his eyes into his brain but Jim just couldn't look away from those beautiful purple irises that stared so intently at him from the view screen.

"Born in death, grew in hate, thrived in hardship and made famous through destruction."

Each word was agony as it cut his head in two. He could tell tears were running down from his eyes, his mouth was open speaking something he could not even hear himself. The creature hadn't moved, Jim half wondered if the entire bridge felt what he felt, could hear what he heard.

"Abandoned by his mother."

From the corner of his eye, Jim could see Spock running towards him but it felt like slow motion. Something hot and red dripped from his nose and at the sides of his ears but he didn't know what as he tried to force whatever was inside of him out. He fought the creature, sweat dripping from his forehead. Another strike of fire licked at the back of his head.

"Abused by his father."

Jim thought he whimpered, he wanted to fall forward – his knees dug into the hard floor of the bridge, but he just couldn't do it. He couldn't move. He couldn't look away from those impending eyes. On top of the pain killing him from the inside Jim started to feel dread bubble up his throat. The will to survive was slowly being burnt out like a wick that flame just couldn't cling to.

"Survivor of Tarsus."

The world dwindled down to pain and fear and loss. His eyes drooped but didn't stop looking at the blue creature. He would always have those eyes seared into his memory.

"Who would love you? Who would care for you? No one!"

And Jim screamed just as Spock tackled him to the side breaking off the eye contact and Uhura overloaded the transmission to the regular view screen.

"Get us out of here, Mr. Sulu," Jim thought he heard Spock say but wasn't sure. "Alert Medical, now!"

Was Spock yelling? Why was he so angry? Vulcan's don't panic, Vulcan's don't get mad, so why did he look down at Jim with such ferocity for a species that claimed they had no emotion? Jim was confused as he lay on the ground feeling himself float. Tears continued to make tracks down his face pooling in his ears. Jim tried to move but Spock pinned his hands down so Jim jerked trying to get him off. Jim needed to move, he needed to run, he needed to get away.

Memories started coming to the surface of his mind – his mother's back as she walked out the door. Frank's rosy red face as he charged at him with a broken bottle and a belt. The killing fields of Tarsus and the square where Aunt Jane and Uncle Dan were murdered. Children's faces – malnourished, emaciated and pale looked up at him with bloated stomachs as they scratched their way towards him.

I'm so sorry, he wanted to yell. I tried. I tried so hard to save you! He wanted them to live more than he wanted to survive but still they died. They were just children, they couldn't handle the harsh conditions and they died and it was all his fault. He tried. He'd tried so hard.

Jim buckled up against the people who struggled to hold him down. He fought against not only Spock but also three others as they rushed to keep their captain on the floor where he couldn't get hurt or hurt himself. Jim yelled and begged for them to let him go, to not hurt him. Didn't they understand that he tried? He got them food, he sung them songs so they slept, he let the guards have their way just to get supplies. He didn't mean to, he didn't mean to let them die. He's sorry, he's so sorry!

Jim felt a pinch at his shoulder before his body went limp and he floated for a short while.

He came partially back to himself just as someone leaned over him strapping him on something soft but sturdy. A familiar smell wafted through his bloody nose. It smelled like peaches and bourbon and things he'd thought he'd never get to smell again. Bones.

"B-Bones," he choked. Bones looked down at him getting close to his face as he spoke.

"You're fine, kid. You're gonna be fine, we're gettin' you to the MedBay now."

"T-they didn't ask me any q-questions," he cried. "They just kept going and they didn't ask anything!"

"Hey, hey, Jim!" Jim felt his head move to the side as someone maneuvered him. Bones got so close to his face it blocked out the too bright lights that shined up above. "Everything's okay now darlin'. No one's gonna hurt you 'cause I'm right here. I got ya. I've got you, Jimbo."

It was the last thing he heard as the walls caved in and blackness took hold.


End file.
